Drivers have killed five children on a one-mile stretch of Northern Boulevard in six years.

There are too many funerals for children killed by drivers on Northern Boulevard.

This weekend, Jackson Heights residents gathered to remember 9-year-old Giovanni Ampuero, who was struck by a hit-and-run driver at Northern and 70th Street the previous Saturday. He was the fifth child killed by a motorist on the same one-mile segment of Northern Boulevard in six years, according to Make Queens Safer.

On Saturday, Ampuero’s family and neighbors marched to the site of the crash. They called on the city and state to rein in dangerous drivers and protect children walking on NYC streets.

“I came because I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired of having to come to events like this,” said Council Member Danny Dromm. “For me, this is an issue of car violence.”

Streetfilms’ Clarence Eckerson, himself a Jackson Heights parent, put together this short video of the memorial, where Giovianni’s friends, family, and neighbors pled for action:

In the past two weeks, four New Yorkers have been killed by reckless drivers while walking on the sidewalk. At least one senior has been killed in the crosswalk. The victims came from every walk of life, from many different corners of the city, and ranged in age from 9 to 79. Last night in Jackson Heights, family, friends, […]

As a matter of practice, car dealerships along Northern Boulevard, one of the most dangerous streets in Queens, illegally use its sidewalks and curb lanes as a showroom for vehicles. NYPD doesn’t enforce against the appropriation of sidewalks and won’t answer questions about it. Streetfilms’ Clarence Eckerson recently walked down Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights and found cars […]